Rape and sexual assault

Dr. Julie L. Valentine provides background information on the challenges in tracking prosecution outcomes in sexual assault cases of adult victims. Research utilizing the National Institute of Justice Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Practitioner Toolkit in two Utah counties is presented. Variables predicting prosecution are be explored. Participants are invited to consider societal, structural, and legislative barriers to prosecution of adult sexual assault cases faced in their jurisdiction to encourage multidisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Julie L. Valentine introduces the application of touch DNA in sexual assault cases through a case study. A literature review on touch DNA is summarized to provide contextual information and research on touch DNA analysis findings in groping sexual assault cases is discussed. The webinar concludes with recommendations for multidisciplinary partners to collect, submit, and analyze evidence in sexual assault cases for touch DNA.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 18, 2023.

Dr. Julie Valentine shares background information on dating app usage and user demographics to provide context for research findings on dating apps and sexual assault. Research findings are presented on sexual assaults committed at the first in-person meeting when the victim and assailant met on a dating app compared to other sexual assaults not associated with dating apps. Practice and policy recommendations are shared to improve dating app safety.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 4, 2023.

This webinar will highlight the importance of conducting a victim-centered, trauma-informed investigative interview for sexual assault cases. Trauma-informed investigative interviews lay the foundation for improved victim engagement with the criminal justice system and increased ability to resolve sexual assault cases.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 26, 2022

Scientists from three participating laboratories - University of Central Florida (UCF), Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE), and InnoGenomics (IGT) - presented results obtained from mock sexual assault samples using the SpermX method and their in-house differential extraction method. All three laboratories processed identical sets of female:male mixture swabs at various ratios in triplicate and presented their experiences and insights from this study.

This webinar will review the features and advantages of the Idaho State Police Forensic Services’ freely available sexual assault kit evidence tracking system.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 7, 2022.